By Mohammad Hojeije | Staff Writer
On October 30th, 2022, Brazil held the second turn of its presidential elections. In Brazil, the system of elections relies on a second vote if in the first one no candidate reaches the majority, which is constituted of 50% +1 of the voting population. According to the TSE ( Supremo Tribunal Eleitoral, or the Supreme Court of Election Affairs), the recent election is one of the tightest in Brazilian democratic history, as 50.9% of the voters chose to elect the leftist Luís Inácio Lula da Silva (Lula) from the Worker’s Party (Partido dos Trabalhadores), against 49.1% for the current president Jair Bolsonaro. The results were similar to the scenarios predicted by research agencies, and after careful analysis, the TSE, as well as the military forces have concluded that all electronic ballots were fairly accounted for, and that the election was lawful and democratic.
However, recent events in Brazilian and the Latin American political milieu, especially concerning the rise of mis- and disinformation, have led to an unprecedented wave of political instability. The former president’s loss came directly after his mandate which started on January 1, 2019, and ended on December 31, 2022. Bolsonaro’s mandate was marked by a neglect of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 74% rate of the Amazon rainforest’s deforestation, the country’s currency’s immense devaluation, and the former president’s controversial opinion deemed by many as sexist, homophobic, and racist. Adding to the fact that Bolsonaro is the first president in Brazilian democratic history to ever lose re-election, the country has seen an unparalleled polarization of left- and right-wing supporters, especially since Bolsonaro’s party and supporters preemptively questioned the results of the election. Claiming fear of “gender ideology,” “communist domination,” and “the gay-abortionist agenda,” Bolsonaro’s supporters fomented movements currently happening across Brazilian capitals. These movements are aimed at questioning the fairness of the election system altogether, distrusting established news sources, and suspecting long-honored institutions such as the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court of Elections Affairs. There have even been demands for the return of the military dictatorship among Bolsonaro’s supporters which is one of the most unstable periods in the country’s history.
The international media welcomed Lula’s victory and leaders of states of countries such as the United States, France, and Canada promptly recognized the results as true and as a product of democratic and fair competition. Many political figures worldwide welcomed Lula’s success not necessarily because of his political stances, but rather because of his respect for the democratic process as a military-backed coup in Brazil was feared. It is in the best interest of democratic countries to witness the maintenance of order and stability in other democratic systems worldwide as it is alleged to yield a more peaceful international scenario.
Although at a decreasing rate, Bolsonaro’s supporters are still chanting for the return of the military government, claiming several conspiracy theories to negate the election results. Quite interestingly, however, many of Bolsonaro’s supporters were tied to several scandals during the casting of the votes as their attempts of halting left-leaning communities from reaching the ballots were reported. The current president has not yet openly acknowledged Lula’s victory, nor is cooperating with the transition as of this date. Nonetheless, Lula’s victory speech placed heavy importance on the protection of the Amazon rainforest, unity, democracy, and plans to address racism, social policies, food instability, and the drastically falling living standards of the Brazilian nation as a whole.
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